Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela on Sunday urged the United States to respect his country's sovereignty.

The remarks came after the US recalled its envoys from El Salvador and the Dominican Republic, as well as its charge d'affaires from Panama, for breaking so-called "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan. 

"As a sovereign country, we will always make our decisions based on Panama's own interests, and we are sure that the best interests of Panama do not conflict with the interests of our strategic partners," he pointed in a statement.

"We respect the sovereign decisions of other countries and we will always ask the same respect for ours," Varela said.

In June 2017, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Panama signed a communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations, recognizing that there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory.